Culture Change

First, we change the building to feel more like home. We remove anything institutional or that you would not have in your own home. We take away the institutional feel by warming the walls, hanging art, putting in modern flooring, and removing the nurses station. Dining rooms provide a social atmosphere and residents may bring furniture from home to create a space that is special to them. Lush gardens and beautiful patios create a place to gather outdoors.

Next, the organization has to change the way we approach care for the residents and how we treat our staff, or "care partners". Decision making is placed into the hands of the residents or those closest to them. Why? Because they have become well-known with each resident. They understand their "rhythm" of daily life. Residents keep the right to choose: when to go to bed, when to get up, what and when to eat, and even help create their own activity calendar to be meaningful to them. Residents, families, and care partners are encouraged and invited to attend training, activities, and sit on our committees. Each committee is dedicated to creating a home for our residents that bring back autonomy, privacy, dignity, and respect.

Our care partners attend regular training, designed to help them change the way they view the elderly and the way we care for each other. We train them in the art of culture change, ageism, interpersonal skills, and memory care. By changing the nursing home to a care community, we pave the way for the future of care for the aging and disabled population.